2000

Back to Calendar 2000

Up canal into Decize by 11.30.

Automatique (Tirette) lock didn’t work, and we were enormously hassled by a Swiss idiot in a little boat in a strong wind who knew it all, and insisted on putting himself - in plastic run-about - between us - 16 tonnes of steel - and the bank - immovable France all in a strong cross wind.

We didn’t squash him through absolutely no fault of his.

Into end mooring on Halte Nautique between the 2 Auto locks that lead to the R. Loire and the Nivernais.

The Halte Nautique is also a whaling Station, and was full of dozens - say 40 - 50 - G.W.W. with no security of any sort. The entrance roads just comes off the main road with no gates, nothing into a turnaround in front of jetties.

Up to Post office in centre of town on bikes - place a little dead - to find it was a Public holiday so couldn’t pay France Telecom, and get mail. P.O. Shut!

Back via old landing stage below Lime trees to find some sort of "jolly" involving very old boats that used to sail up and down river with square sails.

Joined in - men dressed up in big brown hats and baggy trousers - much interest in bikes - petty we hadn’t brought Albert over - he/she would have stolen the show.

No-one noticed that enthusiastic biker on yellow bike had 2 gel saddle covers on her seat.

On way home had drink in cafe where we watched the Great Grey Green Greasy Loire last year at this time, when we were - rightly so - too scared to bring Albert across. Lots of youngsters - 16 - 19 - but immaculately behaved and weirdly dressed and ringed.

As it was Public Holiday, get cheap rates on mobile, so did log, "we’re here", and everything. Much grief, with Pipex not accepting me, e-mail all bunged up and not coming through, and general frustration, refusal even to accept log-on.

Trouble appeared, eventually - to be 2 enormous 2.3 thingies - from Kath.

Shame, had to delete them. This loosened it all up. Or was it Pipex - Y.D. later said she also had similar trouble - refusal to accept i.d., password, slipping connection, etc?

In Decize.

Hot, Heavy and Humid - also horrid.

To P.O. - got Mail, paid France Telecom Bill. The people in the P.O. are incredible. I pay each month with a sort of Giro bought for cash. The counter staff - very good-humouredly - fill the whole form in for me, then fax a copy of it - on my behalf - to France Telecom. The whole thing takes at least 30 mins, and the queues behind are horrific, but no-body seems to mind, and everybody is very careful to stand well back, so there can be question of "violating my privacy". In passing, this is the custom at Cash Points as well - stand well away, don’t form a queue, the next one always knows when it is his turn.

Then to the car spares emporium where we got fan-belts last year to try for new batteries for domestic for Albert (they were supposed to last between 4 and 7 years - they have lasted 2 summers and a winter) As usual, this is not simple, but involved 2 X 1 hour visits to discuss, and order, and ended up with nothing!

Tried to book Decize dry dock over the phone, but failed - partially language, and partially I don’t think they really wanted us.

A lot of trouble with battery charging in the P. de P. Kept tripping the supply plug. Found that our plug on the boat was a loose connection, and had been burning and corroding over the last few weeks and months.

Almighty thunderstorm hit the P. de P. in the evening, bringing attempts to e-mail to an abrupt end.

Amused during afternoon whilst sitting and contemplating our navels (??) to be approached by English woman trying to get through same lock as gave us trouble yesterday for help - it, the lock, wouldn’t work. Gave "knowledgeable" help, and the thing did work! Undeserved canal cred gained.

The boat was the little N.B. that lies laid up in Roanne, used to belong to Chris and Pete (see last year’s log) and before they brought it over, was Thorne Bird moored up next to the sanitary station at Wyre Piddle on the Avon, belonging to Mr and Mrs Thorne.

Supermarket - complete with bike trailer behind bike in evening - standard now-a-days with S. coming along behind to pick up the leaks when they fall out onto the road. Trailer isn’t really big enough, 2 cases of beer and 3 lemonade, 6 milk, 2 packs loo paper, and that’s it. Never mind - damn sight better than rucksacks, and gives the locals something to watch.

Actually, the whole set-up of off boat transport is 4 million times good.

Bright and early from Decise almost up to Nevers.

Very wet morning - rain - but cleared up as we left.

Found sump pump - that clears rain and bilge water out of engine room - had packed up. One more thing!! Repaired, but can’t re-install till to-morrow when engine cool.

Pleasant run - delighted to be off - up very pretty canal in very pretty countryside. Boat pulling like a train.

Tried to pretend engine not overheating - perhaps it isn’t - doesn’t go beyond 83 Centigrade, anyway.

Totally standard - and most enjoyable - French boating day. What a pleasure to be out of port!

Knocked off about 1600, 4 pin moor up, just as well - fully loaded peniche, first of season - passed later.

Went to sleep in chairs on bank until drinks time at 1700 (probably 1800 in Bulgaria)

Almost to Nevers completely into Nevers.

Down through "embrachement" - dead-end arm that used to join canal into River Loire. Now shut off, but 2 kms of side canal kept in good condition for Nevers’ P. de P, and tourism generally. Starts with 2 immaculate and new automatic tirette locks.

Moored up on town mooring - grass and very quiet with plenty of space next to municipal swimming pool. The latter very sophisticated but not yet open.

Assisted hire boat in strong wind to moor up - 1 man steering, 1 female holding horrid little dog, 1 female looking at rope.

Hooked rope with boathook - boat preceding backwards fast to-wards other moored boats - dragged 1 female - forcibly - ashore to hold rope, whilst dashed to back end to stop it making hole in France.

Into Nevers on bikes - yellow bike still with 2 gel seat covers - to tourist office and spent about an hour trying find a "battery shop".

Got number finally of someone who might supply us - tourist office VERY helpful - went outside to phone box, spoke to firm initially intelligently and intelligibly to a women, then to a perfect idiot of a man on whom I finally had to put the phone down. So still no batteries.

This is not the end of the world - if we are motoring we can store just enough for showers to-night, the fridge all night, and breakfast. If we are not motoring, then we use the shore-side 240 volts for kettle and toaster, and run the engine for showers, which stores enough for the fridge for the night.

Present thinking is to see if the yard where we are due to be slipped next week can help intelligently. If not there is an English yard at Sens on the R.Yonne, which we go quite close to - across country - on our way to Paris, and we can contact them.

We’ll see.

Enjoyable cycle around Nevers, very old - like 900 a.d. - and very touristy. Even saw party of English speaking tourists (American - hope so - most of them looked only 6" ahead of the undertaker) being shepherded around the streets by a loud voiced guide.

During course of exploration separated at a round-about going in diametrically opposite directions.

Met some time later, and local car owning populace treated to sight of 2 elderly persons on wheeled pogo sticks screaming with laughter across busy traffic filled road at each other.

We have been trying to teach locals that traffic should drive on the left, like other civilised countries.

We try and lead the way by example - but we may be losing the battle.

Back to boat to find Fred (French retired peniche driver) and wife from Tulip - wintered in Roanne moored up. Asked for advice about purveyor of batteries in France, whilst we sat around in the sun (and wind) having drinks.

First time we have had prolonged social intercourse with French people, in France, in French. Hard work, but most rewarding - one has to admit it must be as hard work for them as for us.

In Nevers.

Weather cooler, partially overcast.

Decided to stay for day and play "tourist tourist". We had given up all thought of getting batteries, it just seems too difficult.

We have reliable 240 volt supply from shore, and have switched inverter odd completely for first time since arriving in Roanne in March, to see if, in fact, the batteries are being drained by the inverter, rather than not holding their charge.

Off on trusty steeds after breakfast - over the Loire by magnificent bridge complete with cycle track. The trouble with cycle tracks is that the French appear to regard them as an intrusion, so drive as close to the line as they can, regardless of how narrow - and hence how close to the other side of the line we are.

Up to Cathedral - heavily bombed by mistake in July 1944 - photos show horrifying damage. Since rebuilt, with all stained glass windows being glazed with modern light geometric designs, rather than the small dark religious themes they seem to like. Very effective and make for a light airy Church. Locked bikes up to railing, and on to (famous) arty crafty expensive pottery shops - actually very interesting - business quiet, so receive individual demonstration of decorating on unfired glaze. This to us completely new.

Lunch - on S - at a crepere - good. Demonstration of Bromptons to proprietor, then

Back to boat, somewhat weary.

Drinks, snacks and Chinese Checkers with Freddie and Germaine on Tulip - beautiful boat, and only French owned boat, in Roanne.

Spoke only French - as yesterday evening. Heavy concentration required, and very exhausting, but fun. Chinese Checkers - Halma I think - not the most riveting of games.

Nevers to Pont du Canal at Guetin (double staircase)

Cleaning boat at Nevers P. de P. in slightly desultory way when car drove up to disgorge family Judy and Ferdie of Riverdance + bank manager and son! Sowing them the country side (are we already part of that countryside). Hilarious hour followed of beer drinking and bad jokes.

When they pushed off, finished whatever we were doing, had lunch and at about 1500 left Nevers ourselves.

Quite glad to go. Moorings and environs good to adequate, but fisherman troubles looming - hire boat down the end wasn’t allowed onto moorings, as fishermen already established. Fine in his case, but supposing he had been private, and needed electricity and water?

Very hot afternoon, and decided to test boat as to not overheating, and charging.

She charged well enough, but got far too hot. Further expert investigation and diagnose needed!

Stopped about tea time under shade of bridge to let both boat and ourselves cool off.

Continued quietly without charging, speeding, or overheating.

Across "Canal du Pont at Guetin". Dirty great big aqueduct of stone and iron across River l’Allier - tributary of Loire, but just as big.

The end of the aqueduct was a very deep double staircase lock.

In front of us were a pair of hire boats with Dutch or German crews who demonstrated their leadership qualities by running back and forward like ants along the aqueduct’s towing path telling everyone what was going on and what to do! We also had eyes, but being a "small" boat (Le petit bateau Anglais) we have to be instructed!

Problem was usual - 2 hire boats and us will fit into standard lock, so long as 2 hire boats don’t try and be clever, do what they are told, and we are at the back.

Fortunately L.K. had seen it all before, and unlike most was a proper L.K. who knew both his safety and his locks. He just gently overruled idiot instructions where there was a danger of anyone obeying them with a tiny twitch of hand or finger. S. - driving - just watched L.K.’s hands. There were quite big sills at the back of the locks, waiting to grab us, and enough noise from idiots and overflow for verbals to be inappropriate.

Just as we were coming out of second lock almighty thunderstorm blew up.

Nipped across canal to set of moorings set up in the past for peniches awaiting the locks.

After rain, realised that we had a perfectly adequate although rather high, stop-over mooring, so settled down for night.

Perfectly comfortable and quiet, but aesthetically left something to be desired. As it went on raining off and on, we couldn’t sit out, anyway, so really didn’t matter.

Pont du Canal, Guetin to Cours les Barres.

Took it slow - very hot again, and canal somewhat crowded with fishermen, G.W.W. and private boaters.

We were due in Marseilles les Aubigny on Monday, morning, so really no hurry as we arrived at Cours les Barres at lunch time, and there was only 6 kms left to go!

However, as the future was unknown, and getting bread on a Monday is often not possible, and it was now 11.45 on Sunday (everything shuts at 12.00 on week-days, and on Sundays the boulangeries shut at 12.00 for good) a quick run up to the village was appropriate.

Obtained 2 of last 3 breads, had a look round, and decided it was really rather a nice spot, nicely landscaped, grass, a garden, a babbling brook, and no teenagers swimming.

Found Freddie in Tulip, + 2 other private boats moored up.

Freddy arrived to point out there was a proper mooring at the far end, so moved round to it, and tied up properly over 2 mooring spaces. (There were no hire, and very few other craft, out on a Sun, and we are much longer than average boat).

Dutch boat next door started booming his TV at lunch time, so rather crossly moved up bank for lunch, and to laze away the afternoon, but rang up the dry dock Raymondo - at Marseilles les Aubigny.

Impossible to take us, thought we were still in Roanne, etc, etc.! quel domage, bugger them.

Ferdie arrived full of ire - his boat has been sitting in the same dock for 3 weeks awaiting a part!

Told us they had put a hotel boat on the dock on Sat! Suspect we are the victims of something or other, but general feeling is that this is normal for France! Told Ferdie story (he used to own garages etc in America - J.R.Country) and he said - after closely questioning me - that he would try and fix it to-morrow.

A hire boat - English driven - arrived about 1700 gasping for water. Felt we had to move to let them in. Did, and they tied up down the other end. He was ex stock exchange, and not having a good holiday - gave the impression that he considered boat owners (as opposed to hirers) were lower class - although they had often done it before. She - we reckon a working school teacher - was loving it! It takes all sorts.

However, we were now on the end, with backside facing out, so could run engine for showers without upsetting others.

Continued hard working evening doing not a lot - tried another version of the "we’re here" map saga, and computer crashed utterly!

Cours les Barres to Marseilles les Aubigny - some 5 kms.

Did I mention in yesterday’s log, which was published last week, that we took the thermostat out of the engine cooling system yesterday to see if it was faulty and causing engine to run hot. It worked fine in a saucepan of boiling water - however, we still didn’t put it back)

Ferdie gave me a lift to Raimondo - the "dockyard" where his boat has been lying for 3 weeks for simple repairs, and the yard where I booked the dry dock last month, only to be told on the phone yesterday that he couldn’t take us.

Tackled the man - little Italian, but big yard (lots of scrap lying around, and lots of moored peniches and big barges and a new hotel boat - painted lilac, on the water outside) and eventually got out of him that we would be next on the dock, once he’d got the present incumbent ( a little barge thing that he had put a new bottom on, then floated it, and found it was sinking - big leaks).

Gave us a good mooring right outside dry dock entrance on low grass with electricity and lots of shade (bloody hot by now) until dock ready.

Accepted with mis-giving, but basically, wherever else we go we will also have to wait at least a week or 10 days, so might as well stay here.

Had coffee with Judy, while Freddie (not to be confused with Ferdie, who is German American, and drives River Dance) went to the doctor, and Ferdie (not to be confused with Freddy, who is French, and drives Tulipe) went and had another - rather bad-tempered go at Raimondo who had been promising spares on "express" for 3 weeks.

Met up to-gether, and drove back to Cours les Barres.

Lit up boat, unmoored demonstrated manoeuvrability and tight turning circle of narrow boat, but stopped watching boat to admire Tulip’s figure head - flying, well endowed, naked lady - and nudged far bank with bows while everyone watched.

Up to Marseilles les Aubigny, but engine still running too hot - according to the gauge, but 15 minutes after arrival happened to open lid to find all cool and hunky wotsit.

Puzzle.

Moored up and went on solo bike ride to see where we were.

Charming little village scattered round quite big and very nice P. de P.

Apparently a centre for winter mooring, etc, but most boats gone. Shops village type only.

Whilst I was swanning, S saw and heard screaming row between Ferdie and Raimondo. Really loud! Not only had the main job not been done (re-hanging his rudder) and subsidiaries done badly, but Raimondo was arguing that, although it was not possible to turn the steering wheel, the job had been done well and properly.

Subsequently heard that Raimondo had "not been himself" (pissed?) and had made as to go for Ferdie, who picked up a bigger spanner!

Finally River Dance left - quite fast - amid a shower of vituperation, having been thrown out of the yard/having walked out of the yard!

This all augers extremely badly for our job - but all we actually want is the use of the dry dock, and a pressure hose, no, thank goodness, work to be done.

So we can but - trembling in our shoes - hope!

We subsequently heard that the people who commissioned the enormous hotel boat are also dissatisfied, so the yard was having a bad day.

Very hot day, but had enough shade to see day through, without achieving anything.

We are very jittery about whether we want to stay here - but we’ll play it off the cuff over the next few days - watch and wait.